1. From the Shadows
The wind forced its way thought deserted landscape and once in a while it playfully blew small piles of leaf up in the air as it touched the ground. For a second it seemed like it was going to be a very pleasant night, but then the wind began to increase in strength and carried black clouds in over the sky.
The guard, who had the lonely job of guarding the gate, cast a nervously glance up at the black clouds, which flew in over the moon and hided it in their black blanket, as he pulled his coat closer together around his neck and mentally prepared for yet another cold night. He really hated these cold and lonely nights, but somehow it was always him, who ended up with them. He was therefore very relieved to see the headlights from an approaching vehicle.
The guard was so focused on the approaching vehicle that he didn't saw the black shadow, which left the cover from the scrubs next to the fence and crept over to the gate. Each step was carefully planed, so it was quickly pasted the gate with a few soundless steps and hided at the side of the road on the other side of the gate. It patiently waited until the truck had past thought the gate, but then it took a bo staff out from under the jacket and swung up on the truck's roof, where it landed soundless on the feet.
The truck was almost at the buildings, before the shadow soundlessly jumped down from the roof and vanished into the scrubs, where it took the dark hood off and a young teenage girl's face appeared underneath. She would have look so out of place in this cold and dark world, if it hadn't been for the resolute look in her eyes, which involuntarily told her sad story.
She began to sneak over to the buildings, which were center in the middle of a clearing, with the same professionalism as before. She past many land mines and tripwires on her way, which she dismantled without even looking at them, since due her training she could had passed them even with bind for her eyes. She therefore reached the buildings in an incredible time and began to look after an entrance as she used the walls for cover.
Within a few minutes she found the entrance that she was looking for, but it annoyed her to see that yet another guard was guarding it. She swore soundlessly, since she definitely didn't had time for this, but still she could fell how the blood began to run faster in her veins as she thought about the opportunity. She soundless sneaked over to the guard with the adroitness that not even a cat could have complied with and laid a hand on his face. Immediately she felt how his thoughts and feeling ran through her hand and over in her. She quickly got the information that the needed, but still she kept the contact as she could feel how the life slowly ran out of him. She was just about to give him the final blow, when she remembered her promise and let go of him. With a loud sight he felt back on the ground as she realized what she almost had done.
It felt like hours had past, but it most only had been seconds, when she finally woke up from her trance and pressed the entrance code on the door panel. The door opened in one quick movement as she pulled the guard inside and closed the door behind them. She hastily looked around for place to hide the guard, but as she didn't found any, then she just left him and quickly began to run deeper into the building.
-o-
"Maybe you shouldn't have asked her to come with us…"
Storm cast a worried look over at the back seat, where Rogue appeared to be sleeping. The last month's event had been hard on Rogue. She had lost her normally southern charm and was turned into a little gray mouse. Even thought she tried to carry her grief quietly then only one looked at her would convince everyone that she had lost a big part of herself. Storm looked back at Cyclops and Wolverine as she continued.
"…Maybe it's too early… It's only little over a month since the plane crashed and Gambit…"
The hole in her own heart made Storm stop and a lonely tear felt down her cheek as the memories of her late friend came up in her mind. In the same moment turned Wolverine around and looked at her. Storm quickly wiped the tear away and Wolverine acted like he hadn't seen it.
"It's only a test drive!"
Storm met his eyes.
"And it just happened to be in Louisiana!"
Cyclops, who hadn't taken part of the conversation, since he had been controlling the plane, turned around and met Storm's eyes.
"Look, Storm, we all miss Gambit, but we can't bring people back from the dead. It had to be Louisiana, since it's the best place for the test…"
He hesitated as he looked away.
"…Besides it's better for Rogue to realize that he really is dead, so she can come over it."
Storm's eyes flashed instantly.
"Like you have come over Jean?"
Cyclops didn't answer her, because he knew all too well that he wasn't. Back on the back seat sat another person, who also was in deep grieve, only the tear on her cheek showed that she had heard all what they had said.
-o-
She stopped at the door and read the name on the nameplate, which she immediately recognized. The memories popped up in her consciousness as she laid her hand on the door handle and it forced her to stop. What if he wasn't in there? What if he really was dead? For a second her fear almost got a grip in her as the fear of losing him became too big, but then her training took over and she opened the door.
She then began to walk down the line of beds after her eyes had got used to the dark in the room as she checked each one of them after a familiar face. She was almost at the end of the line, when she finally found him. In one big leap she was over by his side and checked his pulse. First her heart almost stopped because she couldn't find it, but then she felt it. It was very weak, but still it was there.
"I'm sorry."
She affectionately touched his cheek as she took his hand and allowed her powers flow into his body. Immediately she felt how his heart began to beat faster and she broke the connection since she could feel how it drained her for energy. She sat down on the bed as she still clung his hand even thought she knew that she had to leave, but she couldn't. She couldn't leave him again – not again.
"Hey, who are you?"
She looked up and met the eyes of the voice, who was standing in the opened door. For a second they just looked at each other, but then he seemed like he had recognize her. He quickly turned around and ran away as he yelled after the guards.
She knew that it was her cue to leave, so she reluctantly let go of his hand and stood up. She was just about to go, when a sudden urge made her walk back to him and she kissed him goodbye on his cheek. She cast a final glance back at him as she soundlessly swore to help him, but then as she turned around and started on her escape as the emotionally look in her eyes was replace by the normally cold and resolutely one.
She quickly got out of the room and began to run down the hallway in the direction of the exit, but then she heard that the guards was coming against her, so she had to turned around and run deeper into the building as she could hear the guards just right behind her. She hastily turned at a corner and discovered to her horror that it was a dead end. Quickly she tried the doors. The first one was safely lock, but the next she tried was opened and a staircase appeared behind it. She immediately began to run op the stairs while she could hear the guards shout as they found the opened door and she cursed herself for not closing it.
She came to the top of the stairs, which ended with a door. She quickly opened the door and found herself on the roof of the building. Next to her was there a helicopter, which she for a second thought about using it to escape, but then she realized that she would be an easy target in that. She therefore quickly ran over to a little clump of brick, which lay close to the edge of the roof, and took one up. She used her powers to charge the brick and she was just about to throw it, when she remembered her plan. Therefore she dropped her mentally defenses and threw the brick in under the helicopter, which shortly after explored with such a force that it pushed her out over the edge of the roof.
-o-
It was quiet in the cockpit for a long time as the words still hang in the air. None of them knew how to break the silence as all they words in the world seemed so unimportantly in this big universe, where dead really was the end. In the back seat the tears began to flow down Rogue's cheeks as she tried to hold them in. She had heard every word that they said and she wanted to say something, but still she couldn't. It felt like a big piece of her heart had been torn away with the plan crash and that it had left a wound in her that never would heal. She could clearly remember the last time that she had seen him. They had had a big argument about something that she couldn't even remember anymore, but it had just been something trivial. It had ended with her walking away, since she had thought that they had the time, but now as she knew better it was too late.
Suddenly the control panel began to bleep and a screen next to Wolverine began to flash, which made him release his claws and he would had cut through the panel, if Cyclops hadn't stopped him.
"Don't! It's a message from the school!"
Wolverine reluctantly withdrew his claws as he cast an annoyed glance over at the screen.
"What had happen to communicating in the normal way?"
Cyclops, who had put his attention back on flying, didn't even look at Wolverine as he answered.
"It hasn't been installed yet…"
Storm was just about to say something, when he continued.
"… Just read the message!"
With a grunt Wolverine began to read the message, which immediately changed the angry look on his face.
"A new mutant has been detected and they want us to check it out."
-o-
Cyclops landed the plane on a field close to the co-ordinates that they had been giving as Storm walked over to wake Rogue, who still acted like she was sleeping. Storm instantly saw the tears and sat down on the seat next to Rogue.
"I know that you are awake…"
Rogue opened her eyes and looked at Strom as she wiped her eyes with her hand.
"…maybe you should stay here and…"
Rogue interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.
"I'm okay and as Scott said: We can't bring them back from the dead."
Rogue stood up and was about to walk after Wolverine and Cyclops, who had gone outside, when Storm stopped her by grabbing her arm. Rogue stopped in the middle of the movement and looked back a Storm. Their eyes met and for a second they understood each other completely.
"I miss him so much."
Storm nodded in arrangement as she stood up and put her arms around Rogue, who was shaking violently. For just a second they let their defenses down and together they shared the grief, but then they heard that Cyclops was calling after them and the moment was broken.
-o-
They had only been walking for a couple of minutes, when they came to a gate. It didn't seem like anyone was guarding it, but Wolverine could clearly sense that their just had been someone there. He stopped up by the gate and cast a doubtfully glance over at Cyclops, who was holding the map, as he felt like all his senses went crazy. Cyclops shortly looked at the map before he nodded.
"Yes, it's in there."
Wolverine released his claws and was just about to cut through the gate, when Storm walked over and pushed lightly to it. Immediately the gate opened, so they could walk in. They followed the road for several minutes until they came to some buildings, which were center in the middle of a clearing. Cautiously they began walking over to them as they kept an open eye on their surroundings. They discovered several dismantle land mines and tripwires on their way, which only made Wolverine sniff more exhaustively as he kept shaking his head.
"It can't be!"
He mumbled for himself and quickly followed the others that already had reached the buildings, where Cyclops checked the map again, but it was right. The co-ordinates came from the buildings, so they needed to get inside. They therefore began to walk around the buildings until they found an entrance, which they with surprisingly easiness were able to open. Behind the door they found a corridor, which they followed as Wolverine began to sniff even more exhaustively while he kept shaking his head.
On their way through the corridor they past many doors, but behind each one of them they only found empty rooms. They were just about to go back, when they came to an open door. As so many times before walked Rogue over to check the room, but she quickly found out wasn't like all the others. In the middle of the room was there a bed, which was the only thing in the room. She walked a few step into the room to get a better look, but then she saw that someone was lying in the bed, so she therefore quickly ran over to the bed, since it could be someone, who needed help. As she came closer to the bed, then she could better see the person, who was lying in the bed, and then she recognized him.